Locomotive and tender connection.



J. F. OCONNOR. LOCOMOTIVE AND TENDER CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY15, I9l6. 1,225,163. Patented May'8, 1917 ///fi//////////4 A INVENTOR. aomzmamr B 2W ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN O'CONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. ASSIGNOR T0 WILLIAM H, MINER. OF CHAZY. NEW YORK.

LOCOMOTIVE AND TENDER CONNECTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented May 8, 1917.

Application filed July 15, 1916. Serial No. 109,420,

To all whom it may concern:

ie it known that l. .loux F. ()toxxou, a citizen of the l'nited h'tate-su residing at. thieagm in the county of Cook and State of lllinoisahave invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Locomotive and 'l'onder Connections.of which the followingis a full; clear. concise. and exact description. reference being had to the accompanying drawings. forming a part of this speck Iication.

This invention relates to improvements in locomotive alul tender connections.

Objects of the invention are to provide a shackle oi" substantial form for connecting a locomotive and its tender. which shackle shall be capable of vertical and horizontal or universal movements: which is provided with means for taking up wear or lost motion; which is readily applied and detached; and which obviates theneeessity for th now commonly used ehafe castings.

Intho drawing'formin a part of this specification, Figural is a ilngil lulinal. vertical sectional view illustrating portions of a locomotive and tender with my improvements applied thereto, part of the improved connecting meansbeinoashown in side elevation and part in section. Fig. '3 is a part horizontal section, part top plan of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1. And Fig. i-i is a transverse. vertical sectional view taken. on the-line Si -3 of Fig. 1.

In said drawingylt) denotes a portion of the under-frame of a locomotive and ii an adjacent portion ofthe locomotive tender and by which the twoare connected as hereinbefore-described. The improved connection comprises a shackla having a universal joint connection with both the locomotive and the tendon As shown, said' shackle oreonnention includes at each end. a vertical bar 12 having rectangular: heavy ends lit- 13 and a substantially spherical center H: a. loop or yoke 15 at each end of the. shackle, each loopi'or-yoko 15 having a U shapcd outer end: 16 curved to lit the spherical portions 14 and hollow, rectangular inner, end 17; and.aocntral-bar or link 18 having rec tangn'lar-omls 19 fitting within thehollow hoods or heads 17. Inter-posed between caclr rectangular and 19 of the connecting bar 18 and corresponding spherical section l-i is a bearing, plate 20 curved to [it the spherical.

section on one side and having tongues 21 member to thereby preventlateral displacement of the key. Each wedge 25 is provided at its narrow end with a series of'perioratious 27 to receive a cotter 28 or other retaining device. 'lhe vertical bars or members- 12 are preferably detachably connected to the respective parts oi the hicdinotive and tender by a series of bolts 29-42);

From the preceding description. it will be seen that a universal joint is provided between eaelrmember1:2 and the connection extending therohetween, thus accon'iniodat ingg all relative vertical and lateral movements betwecn the locomotive and tender. in addition to the foregoing, by means of the tapered keysand wedges, the connection bet-ween the central bar 18 and the respective loops or yokes 15 can be adjusted as desired to take up slack or wear on the parts. Furthermore, the entire shackle may be readily applied or disconneottwl, or any of the parts may be easily replaced. It is obvious that the tender and locomotive may also be readily disconnected by simply removing one of the, sets of keys and wedge. Furthcri'nore, the wearing surfaces between the connector and the spherical sections are large, thus minimizing thorate of wear.

Although I havo'herein shown and dcscribed what I now consider the preferred means of carrying out my invention. it will be understmul that the .same is inerelyrilluw tralive and that various changes and modificationsmay beinade in the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention;

I claim:

1. lo a locomotivoand tender connection, the coml'iination with members rigid with respect to the locomotive and tender respectively said members having each a c entral spherical section. and means for connecting said 'fnembers. said means including a loop at each end thereof curved to fit over the corresponding spherical section, and a removablc barring block within each loop fit- 110 ting the outer side of the corresponding spherical section.

2. In a devlce of the character described,

j thc'combination with two end members each having a spherical central section, of a connection betw en said members, said connection including, a loop at each end and a removable bearing block within each loop.

3, 111 a loconwtive and tender connection, a shackle. the shackle comprising two end loop members and a central connecting bar, of means for connecting said loop members to the. locomotive and tender respectively, and means for adjustably connecting said bar with each of said loop members, respectively. Q

4. In a locomotive and tender connection,

,the combination with two end members adapted to be rigidly attached to a locomo' tive and tender ,espectively. each of said members having a spherical section, of a shackle 'cxtemliug between said members, said shackle comprising two end loop members and an intermediate connecting bar, the loop members having a universal joint connection with each of said first namcd members, and the connecting, bar being adjustablv connected with each of the loop members.

In a device of the character described,

the combn'lat on with two end members each adapted to be attached to a locomotive or tender, of a connection between said members, said connection including a loop at each end encircling one of said members, and a removable bearing block within each loop engaging the outer side of said member.

6. In a locomotive and tender connection, a shackle, said shackle comprising two e d loop members and a central connecting bar, means for conni-cting said loop members to the locomotive and tender respectively, and

means for adjustably connecting said bar with one of said loo-p members.

7. In a locomotive and tender connectlon,

a shackle comprising two end loop members each of which s provided with a hollov hood. the hoods being disposed opposite each other, and acentral connecting bar extending between said loops. the ends of said 'bar being seated within said hollow hoods,

and detachable. connections between each hood and-the respective end of said bar.- In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 15th day of July 1916.

' JOHN F. OCUNNOR. \Vitnesses Gonna A. BISHOP, lClir/hxm-z'ru M. Barri. 

